Old Who Or New Who?

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By KJB

Sylvester McCoy, the 7th actor to play Doctor Who on television, is returning to the role for the BBC.¿ Unfortunately, it is not for the anticipated Doctor Who film or the possible new BBC television series.¿ McCoy and Sophie Aldred (who played Ace in the series) are being featured in a radio play for the BBC which, if successful, will become a regular series.

This isn't the first time BBC Radio has produced dramas featuring actors from the series.¿ Former Who actors Tom Baker (DW #4), Jon Pertwee (DW #3) and Colin Baker (DW #6) have previously appeared in one-off radio dramas based on the long running series. Most of those dramas were produced since the television series ceased production in 1989.

Taking the concept of the audio drama one step further, UK production company Big Finish Productions are currently wrapping up their first year of original Doctor Who audio dramas featuring actors from the series.¿ These full-length adventures (each episode is approximately 30 minutes long with each story taking four episodes) are made to fit into the continuity of the series and have featured former Who actors Peter Davison (DW #5), Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy.¿ A series of four stories featuring the current Doctor, Paul McGann (seen only once in the FOX telefilm in 1996), are set to be released next year.¿ Fans are considering this to be Season 27 of the series as it represents the first material produced that is not dependent on previously produced material for its continuity.¿ Big Finish also plans on producing a series of audio dramas based on popular Who villains the Daleks, also to be released in 2001.

Considering all of the work going on with the good Doctor in the world of audio, just what does this mean for the projected television series and movie?¿ According to sources at the BBC, work is progressing on both projects.¿ One of the reasons the BBC are even considering a DW radio series is because of the critical success of the Big Finish audio adventures.¿ With the interest those stories are generating, the prospects of those other two projects are looking better and better.¿ There is still some conflict within the BBC over who should play the title role in the film / television series.¿ The film side still wants a "name" star while the television side wants someone who could do double duty and not soak up the majority of the production budget with his salary.¿ Paul McGann's name keeps coming up on the TV side, especially considering he is returning to the role for Big Finish.¿ One problem is that McGann currently stars in a popular series on UK television, making scheduling a problem.

Stephen Fry: The New Who?

A name that seems to be coming up time and again on both sides is Stephen Fry, best known to American audiences as a¿regular performer in the Blackadder series and star of the 1997 film Wilde.¿ He has also appeared in numerous other films and television series (and is also co-starring in the BBC radio series), making him very visible to a wide audience.¿ This is clearly the #1 choice for all involved if he can be convinced to take the part.¿ The biggest problem is a lack of direction at the BBC for what they want to do with the project.¿ Many fans are hoping that, should the BBC radio series be a success and the Big Finish series continue to sell, we will finally see some action on the film & television projects in the near future.